I do know that this video is from 2017 so maybe it's outdated. I print with Polycarbonate by Polymaker named "PC/FR" (Flame retardant) and it prints easy as PLA+. What I mean by that is that it does not clog, it sticks to the bed, it looks beautiful and never had problems with it (after printing about 10 Kilogramms of PC/FR). You print it with 250-270°C Hotend and 105-110°C Bed. Turn the fan off or - if you need bridges and flat angles - set it to max. 30% and go a bit slower. You will get beautiful overhangs and bridges. It is SUPER strong. I wasn't able to break models of PC/FR which could easily be snapped by 2 fingers when made out of PLA or even ABS and PETG. No, I do not get paid haha. Just try this stuff, it's not even THAT expensive (45 Euros per Kilogramm).
I went straight to nylon as soon as I got a printer lol creality ender 5 plus polymaker polymide COPA. been making Glock,vz,cz and ar15 parts and mags . Took a few times to dial in the settings. Prints like a dream
I think maybe using a respirator for this filament or at least some type of enclosure might be a good idea. Im kind of shocked how little people talk about the fumes of 3d printers in general. Good informative vid though!
Don't be afraid to try polycarbonate, I printed small parts successfully without enclosure, 110C bed, 275C hot end and hairspray on glass. Try to get a 50g sample, and simply try it for yourself.
I bought some polymaker PC-Max and printed with their recommended settings, and my first print came out perfect. 255 C with an 80 C bed using buildtak, and a raft.
I printed polycarbonate (no blend) even with a 85c bed. tho it worked better with 120c. just use a sanded polycarbonate/lexan sheet. even can put a bit of gluestick there to make sure it can release. i used 295 for my nozzle. at 85c it didn't warp but the layer adhesion was really bad. also you really benefit a ton from an enclosure. without it the prints come out bad and brittle (a blanket can work)
Don't be afraid to try any filament at any point. Definitely start with PLA, and get that down, but once you have a decent PLA print going, don't be afraid to try, just don't be surprised and discouraged if you fail. Failures are part of 3d printing.
MatterHackers absolutely, so many people new to 3d printing are afraid that if they try new filaments, be it ABS, PETG, Exotic fills, or what ever, that they will somehow break their printer.
I have printed Polymaker PC-Plus just fine on PEI sheet on glass heated to 105C. Different grades of polycarbonate print at different temperature ranges, so YMMV. I did have warping due to lack of a print enclosure.
Um... you can get - reasonably inexpensively - thin polycarbonate sheets (like almost paper thin)... how about putting a thin sheet on your print bed and treating it like injection molding flashing; and just removing it with an x-acto knife around the part? (I.e, the area that was printed on becomes a permanent part of the print). Not necessarily what you'd want for everything, but for the right job, in might be applicable? 🤔
Yes, that's a great idea. It would probably be best to use the sheets after all your other settings are dialed in to lower the risk of burning through the PC sheets easily.
My part cooling fan died on my Prusa mk2s so while waiting for the replacement I spent two entire weeks trying to print polycarbonate. I didnt up the bed above 110 so will deffinatly try that as I didnt realise is ok to go as high as 150+ !! That should help heaps. The one part I did get perfect was so tough that I had to use a diamond file to 'adjust' the fit for a screw. Lol
Hi, thx for the video its very useful :) you did recommend 90-105d on your website for the bed, so i guess 135d is more the way to go? Also i didnt find the technical data sheet of your Polycarbonate, do you know where i can find it, i would like to compare it to other PCs :) thank you very much
Thanks for noticing that - we will be sure to edit our other settings, as we have found that the hotter bed temp seems to work better. Also, for the technical information, please send an email to support@matterhackers.com. Thanks!
sounds like an absolute pain to print poly. i would need to do a lot of mods to my printer that im not willing too. like a 24v bed, new control board for 24v bed support, new thermistor, new fire hazard stickers and a fire extinguisher nearby. :P it would probably be best to have a printer dedicated to the stuff if you plan on using it.
@@MatterHackers I bought PC from World Of Lilliputs (WOL 3D) and it says a maximum bed temperature of 110°C. But in your video you are saying 135°C. WOL 3D has one of the best 3D Printer Filaments in India (I am here!). So, I don't think that they might be selling fake stuff.
I mean, if you're this far into 3d printing you need a self ventilating room. Fans and vents pulling fresh air in and bad air out. It will be cold but safe.
MatterHackers could you please list some of the printers which can reach such a high bed temperature? Is it possible to upgrade the head bed of printers such as the prusa i3?
Replacing the heated bed to reach high temps is not difficult, but it's complicated - there are a lot of variables that are involved. It's possible, but it's more work than simply "swap out the bed." Please email support@matterhackers.com to discuss this further with our test and support team. Great question - thanks!
when you print on what you print with it has to stick - general principle applies universally. printing depends on it. got any tips about reducing the cobwebs?
Sig we have just the thing - check out our 'Just Say No to Oozing' video here: www.matterhackers.com/articles/retraction-just-say-no-to-oozing Hopefully that will help!
what is the diff between poly carbonate which is rated at 260 degree to melt and the other one which is melting at 300 , can you share a link for a polycarbonate high temp ?
The 260 degree ones (pc-max, polylite pc, ecp) are polycarbonate blends, optimized for easier printing, while the ones where you need 300 °C are pure polycarbonate (raise3d pc or any other "generic" pc).
Really need my ford 4.0 sohc motor timing guides made from polycarbonate I think oem is nylon you would make a fortune selling them it's the motors only flaw
Is polycarbonate hard enuogh for home appliances? could I make for instance, like a guitar wall mount that could hold a 15 pound guitar? Could it also be turned into screws?
The load it can support will depend upon stress, which depends upon geometry. For a general suggestion, print a test part and experiment with it. For instance, hang a 30lb weight from the guitar mount for a week at elevated temperatures (hot Summer day in a garage or something). If the part did not permanently deform at all, it would be fine. If it did, you will want to redesign the mount. In general, it will have to be larger than a typical metal mount. But, purchasing a mount will be easiest. 3D printing is best for making parts that you cannot get commercially.
I sent you an email for this BUT in case I don't get a response, please post here a list of printers which can print and heat at polycarbonate temperatures out of the box, at least as a reference!!!
Well, CRAP! I just bought a printer, and it came with a spool of PC. And I have been getting great parts, the only problems being that I don't like cutting off the printed grid-platform that some call a raft. That, and it leaves some fine hairs as the nozzle rapidly moves from one area to another, that I just used a lighter to melt back.
You overcomplicated things. Works fine with PVP glue, 110C bed, even brim instead of raft, with cooling at 60% after second layer and printing temperature 260 (recommended was 250-265 °С). Used glue only to avoid sticking too much to Ultrabase (Anycubic 4Max Pro with mb replaced by Duet 2 WiFi and extruder replaced to Titan Aero + Volcano).
I expect that the exact type of filament used will make a large difference. The Polymaker PC filament seems to be a lot easier to print with than what this video addresses. And, that is even per the recommended settings for the Polymaker PC, not seeing what you can get away with.
Capricorn XS works fine... not sure why you'd need a all metal hotend, a silicone sock can help level out the hot end temp, and using a copper block+tip can hold in the temps better because of higher thermal mass and excellent thermal conductivity within the hot end.
